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Announcements

3rd Annual Symposium for Research Administrators

September 26th, 2018 - Gordon Event Center

Page Updated: September 25th, 2018

Symposium Session Program Levels

Basic: Intended for participants who are new to research administration or the topic. These sessions will assume some fundamental understanding of the field of research administration but will be at an introductory or general overview level.

Intermediate: Intended for staff who are interested in learning more about the topic functions and services in research administration. These sessions will require fundamental understanding and will deliver content that exceeds the basics.

Senior Level: Intended for participants with 5+ years of experience in research administration. Facilitators will assume that attendees have strong knowledge of the topic being presented. Discussion will be in depth. These forums will focus on mastering more difficult and complex scenarios related to each topic. Attendance in the Senior Level Sessions is limited to 30 people.

Discussions vs. Concurrent Presentations

Symposium Discussion Groups are facilitated conversations. They may include a short formal presentation by a panel or presenter but most of the time spent will be in a discussion and interaction where the group’s attendees as well as the facilitators share information.

Symposium Concurrent Presentations are sessions that include mostly lecture with some time for question and answer.

Session Topics

9:30am - 10:30am
  • Assessing your Career Options in Research Administration

    Program Level: Basic Concurrent Session

    Location: Overture Room

    Description: Research administration is a broad field with many opportunities for professional growth, development, and change. Those of us currently in research administration have varying interests and goals that can impact our job satisfaction. The structure of some units may also limit opportunities for growth or advancement. From departmental to central administration, pre-award to post-award administration, or related positions with technology transfer, intellectual property, education/training, or compliance, an open mind can broaden both your view and your skill set. Change can be daunting, however, and the uncertainty can lead to inertia. The session will cover the range of opportunities within research administration, how to assess what types of positions are right for you, and how to navigate changes in focus area.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Understand the full range of professional opportunities within research administration and university administration
    • Evaluate which types of positions fit your skill set and how you can relate existing skills to new areas
    • Discuss techniques for transitioning between focus areas and attaining new skills as needed

    Presented By:

    • Kristin Harmon, Intellectual Property Disclosure Specialist in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
    • Catherine Shults, Research Administrator in the Department of Mechanical Engineering

    Files:

    Slides

  • Grant Land: The Post-Award Game

    Program Level: Intermediate Discussion Section

    Location: Concerto Room

    Description: Navigating a grant to closeout is like playing a board game. Grant administrators want to make a purchase and do it quickly, but many times rules of the institution, award terms, or a situation sends you back to start. Grant Land takes on the Candy Land theme to show grant administrators that grant management is not a simple start to finish game.  The object of the game is to reach the Closeout Castle by managing a grant correctly from the time of award to closeout.  Players need to avoid award management pitfalls that send them back to start or delay progress.

    Learning Objectives: In this session, learners will:

    • Discuss real type situations that can happen from award issuance through closeout.
    • Discuss different approaches to common and not so common surprises that occur during the award lifecycle.

    Presented By:

    • Sandy Fowler, Lead Accountant at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
    • Mary Bauer, Senior Post-Award Administrator at the UW-Carbone Cancer Center

    Files:

    Slides Handouts

  • How to Handle the Most Difficult but Common Pre-Award Questions Related to Indirect Costs and Proposal Deadlines

    Program Level: Intermediate Discussion Section

    Location: Sonata Room

    Description: "How do I get around indirect costs?" "When is the absolute latest I can get this proposal to you?" Engage in a discussion with two campus experts about the most difficult, yet very common, pre-award questions related to indirect costs and proposal deadlines. We will look at these topics from multiple perspectives, including that of the PI, the Center/Department, the School/College and the Central Office. This session will focus on positive ways to respond to indirect cost and proposal deadline inquiries (and even challenges) as we help our researchers submit high-quality, compliant proposals. Multiple real-life scenarios will be discussed, including times where things didn't go well.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Attendees will be empowered to positively respond to inquiries or even challenges related to indirect costs and proposal deadlines.
    • Participants will also see these two topics from the perspective of the PI who wants every advantage possible with their proposal.
    • Through the discussion format, participants will make connections with others in similar positions and will examine resources available, including best practices to assist them in potentially establishing their own local practices and walk through potential approaches.

    Presented By:

    • Nick Novak, Assistant Vice Chancellor in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
    • Jenny Hackel, Assistant Director in the Space Science and Engineering Center

    Files:

    Slides

  • Building a Faculty Outreach Program

    Program Level: Senior Level Concurrent Session

    Location: Ed Gordon Suite

    Description: Over the past year, the College of Engineering’s Office of Research has prioritized development of infrastructure and services to support the research mission of CoE. To this end, CoE’s Research Services team has created and implemented an outreach program to assist faculty researchers (particularly junior faculty) in development of their research agenda. The components of the outreach program currently include training for new faculty, a quarterly newsletter, an annual workshop on development of NSF CAREER proposals, a resources repository for faculty (currently in development), and enhanced outreach to departmental and center research administrators within CoE. In this session, members of the CoE Research Services team will share why and how these components of the outreach program were developed, challenges faced and lessons learned during their development and implementation, and a preliminary assessment of their effectiveness. This session could be of interest to both pre- and post-award research administrators.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Participants will learn about one division’s outreach efforts designed to support faculty researchers.
    • Participants will be introduced to challenges faced in developing faculty outreach programs.
    • Participants will be provided with best practices for faculty outreach programs.

    Presented By:

    • Steve Flaherty, Research Administrator in the College of Engineering
    • Amber Jensen, Research Administrator in the College of Engineering
    • Tammy Kuhn Martin, Assistant Dean in the College of Engineering

10:45am - 11:45am
  • Introduction to Material Transfer Agreements

    Program Level: Basic Concurrent Session

    Location: Overture Room

    Description: While a key component of research on campus is often money, there are other factors that influence the ability to do research. One such factor is whether the researchers have the physical materials to conduct the studies and experiments identified in the research plan. In order to get those materials, researchers often rely on a material transfer agreement to bring in the material. During this session, we will cover the basics of material transfer agreements and how they interact with the research project.

    Learning Objectives:

    After participating in this session, learners will be able to answer the following questions:

    • What is a Material Transfer Agreement?
    • Why and when do I need a Material Transfer Agreement?
    • What concerns may arise while trying to put a Material Transfer Agreement in place? 
    • What information can be in hand ahead of time to expedite the processing of the Material Transfer Agreement?

    Presented By:

    • Bob Gratzl, Interim Assistant Director of Contracts in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Kedren Witkowski, Research Administrator in the College of Engineering

    Files:

    Slides

  • Navigating the NEW NIH E-Forms and Decoding the New Human Subjects Section

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Concerto Room

    Description: The presenters will walk the audience through the new NIH E-forms. We will help the audience determine what needs to be completed for animals only, exempt research, clinical research and clinical trials. And if applicable for your project, we will provide details on completing the new Human Subjects section. We will also provide samples for each of the added sections!

    Learning Objectives:

    Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:

    • Determine if a project constitutes a clinical trial
    • Complete the Human Subject section of the new NIH E-forms, without fear!
    • Use the samples provided to successfully complete the forms

    Presented By:

    • Betty Weiss, Director of Research Services in the Department of Medicine
    • Shari Zeldin, IRB Compliance Officer in the Department of Medicine

    Files:

    Slides Handouts

  • Allowable Costs? It Depends.

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Sonata Room

    Description: Some cost-related questions are easily answered. We love being able to respond with an unqualified “Yes.” However, situations are rarely simple and do not necessarily follow an ideal course of action. When we are faced with situations involving costing questions (some strange and some not so strange), how should we respond? During this session, we will discuss a variety of case studies and identify what issues they pose. We will talk about what resources are available to help people work through situations and walk through potential approaches.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Participants will practice identifying key issues.
    • Participants will learn about resources available for problem solving.
    • Participants will discuss potential approaches to answer cost-related questions.

    Presented By:

    • Jennifer Rodis, Policy Analyst in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Shelly Earl, Accountant Advanced in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • John Varda, Post-Award Managing Officer in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

    Files:

    Slides

  • DHHS Salary Cap: Set Up, Management, and Certification

    Program Level: Senior Level Discussion Session

    Location: Ed Gordon Suite

    Description: The DHHS Salary Cap can throw a wrench into the grant management process. Please join us for a discussion and group practice to keep the gears running smoothly. This session will focus on the proactive management of staff paid over the allowable salary cap rate. As Departments are responsible for ensuring compliance with any salary limitations imposed by sponsors, we will discuss and practice UW recommended procedures for set-up, maintenance and certification of salary charges limited by the DHHS cap rate.

    Learning Objectives:

    After attending this session, participants will have a deeper understanding of:

    • Specific Salary Cap terminology
    • Overall process for managing Salary Cap and the Process for setting up payroll for researchers over the cap on DHHS awards
    • Formulas to determine allowable sponsored charged salary based on commitments or effort certifications
    • Special circumstances related to salary cap (pay rate changes, changes to applicable cap rate, etc.)
    • How to certify effort for researchers over the cap on DHHS awards
    • How to proactively use the RSP Suggested Percentage Salary Cap Report

    Presented By:

    • Jeff Nytes, Effort Program Administrator in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

1:00pm - 2:00pm
  • NSF Participant Support Costs

    Program Level: Basic Concurrent Session

    Location: Overture Room

    Description: This session will provide a basic understanding of National Science Foundation (NSF) participant support costs. NSF participant support costs will be defined and allowable expense categories will be reviewed. We will also address how to budget these types of costs at the pre-award stage and discuss the corresponding implications at the post-award stage. We will use examples and tools to bolster attendees’ understanding of NSF participant support costs. There will be interactive activities involved to apply the material.

    Learning Objectives:

    After attending this session participants will:

    • Develop a basic understanding of NSF participant support costs
    • Learn about budgeting and pre- and post-award implications for NSF participant support costs
    • Review examples and tools related to NSF participant support costs

    Presented By:

    • Jennifer Rodis, Policy Analyst in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Mandi Kilcoyne, Accountant in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Kelsey Wolter, Accountant in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

    Files:

    Slides Handouts

  • Vilas Awards - Updates and Answers

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Concerto Room

    Description: We will present facts about Vilas and Vilas awards and bring news about important updates to salary and fringe costs on some Vilas awards. The updates have already been communicated as they became effective July 1, 2018, but we want to make sure the message has been received and understood, and to give campus research administrators the chance to ask questions. The basic facts about Vilas and Vilas awards will be drawn from last year's "The Truth About Vilas" presentation, but will be shortened to allow for the new material.

    Learning Objectives:

    After this session, participants will have:

    • Basic knowledge about all categories of Vilas awards.
    • An understanding of the salary and fringe cost update that will have gone into effect 7/1/18.
    • Familiarity with who to contact (John and Angie) and where to find information (RSP's Vilas website).

    Presented By:

    • John Varda, Post-Award Managing Officer in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Angie Johnson, Advanced Accountant in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

    Files:

    Slides Handouts

  • NIH Fellowships (F-series): Proposal Submission - Why these awards are different!

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Sonata Room

    Description: This session will cover how to apply for NIH fellowships (F31, F30 or F32 mechanisms).  Many aspects of NIH Fellowships are different from typical graduate student or postdoctoral position funding. The goal of this session will be to provide resources and procedures for administrators to assist with successful applications. We will review application guidelines and resources, including budget preparation. We will discuss how to use Cayuse and prepare various administrative sections of the proposal.

    Learning Objectives:

    After attending this session learners will be able to:

    • Understand the funding opportunity announcements for these proposals to ensure complete and competitive submissions
    • Prepare a budget for one of the F opportunity types
    • Become familiar with the various systems needed to complete a successful submission

    Presented By:

    • Jenny Dahlberg, Administrative Program Specialist in the School of Veterinary Medicine
    • Mallory Musolf, Student Services Coordinator in the Neuroscience Training Program

    Files:

    Slides

  • Cost-Transfers: Let's Talk About Writing Justifications That Work

    Program Level: Senior Level Discussion Session

    Location: Ed Gordon Suite

    Description: We all get frustrated with cost transfers that are sent back for more information or because the justification isn’t acceptable to the approver.  “It was approved last time with no issues, why not this time?” The facilitators will lead a discussion about what makes for a good cost transfer justification from a division and central perspective. They will share their thoughts on what makes a cost transfer audit ready and easily understood for those that are more than twice removed from the transfer story. Attendees are welcome to bring examples and the group can discuss and share ideas about real transfer situations.

    Learning Objectives:

    In this session, participants will:

    • Discuss why transfer justifications are important.
    • Learn to write good justifications and avoid cost transfer pitfalls.
    • Determine whom to contact when the situation is complicated.

    Presented By:

    • Sandy Fowler, Lead Accountant at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
    • Shelly Earl, Accountant Advanced in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

    Files:

    Handouts

2:15pm - 3:00pm
  • Continuing Education Opportunities for Research Administrators

    Program Level: Basic Discussion Session

    Location: Overture Room

    Description: Have you wondered what professional development opportunities exist to learn and grow as a research administrator? This session will dive into the continuing education opportunities offered by RED, NCURA, master’s degree programs, and professional certifications.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the Research Education Development (RED) training opportunities offered by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
    • Participants will gain a broad understanding of the various professional development opportunities available through the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA).
    • Participants will learn about programs offering master’s degrees in research administration.
    • Participants will be introduced to the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) program offered by the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC).

    Presented By:

    • Bonniejean Zitske, Assistant Director of Research Financial Services in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Dorothy Johnson, Post-Award Managing Officer in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Melanie Hebl, Education Coordinator in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

    Files:

    Slides Handouts

  • 5 Things Post-Award Research Administrators Will Want To Know About Sponsor Invoice Collections

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Concerto Room

    Description: This session is for post-award financial research administrators in department or division/deans offices. Hear from an accounts receivable analyst on RSP’s Revenue Management Team and the Assistant Dean for Research Administration in the College of Engineering’s Research Services. Review the lifecycle of an invoice and UW’s collections cycle and the role of the Revenue Management Team in following up on outstanding payments. Clarify some related accounting concepts including Revenue and Accounts Receivable. Talk about the role of the division/deans offices in financial responsibility and procedures that can be implemented to reduce financial risk. Learn about some WISDM/WISER and division dashboard tools for information about invoices and payments. Gain insight into helpful communications between the Revenue Management Team and departments or division/deans offices. This session does not cover clinical trials.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Learn about the lifecycle of an invoice and the role of the Revenue Management Team in following up on outstanding payments
    • Clarify some related accounting concepts: Accrual-Basis Accounting, Revenue, and Accounts Receivable
    • Discuss the role of the division/deans offices and some procedures that can be implemented to reduce financial risk
    • Explore WISDM/WISER and division dashboard tools for information about sponsored project invoices and payments
    • Gain insight into helpful communications between the Revenue Management Team and departments or deans offices

    Presented By:

    • Susan Horein, Revenue Management Accountant in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Tammy Kuhn Martin, Assistant Dean in the College of Engineering

    Files:

    Slides Handouts

  • One-Stop Shop for NIH Fellowship Administration (Post-Award Management)

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Sonata Room

    Description: This session will cover how to administer NIH fellowships (F31, F30 or F32 mechanisms) if awarded. Many aspects of NIH Fellowships are different from typical graduate student or postdoctoral position funding. The goal of this session will be to provide resources and procedures for award management. We will walk through the process of how to respond to a Just-in-time request, activate an award, and how to administer payroll, tuition and other charges. We will also touch on the closeout process for these specialized awards, including use of Xtrain within eRA commons.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Learn how to interpret the notice of award, activate and setup F awards
    • What’s different compared to R01s? Everything: Payroll, tuition, shortfall (predoc) and RPPR sections
    • Closeout and Xtrain

    Presented By:

    • Jenny Dahlberg, Administrative Program Specialist in the School of Veterinary Medicine
    • Mallory Musolf, Student Services Coordinator in the Neuroscience Training Program

    Files:

    Slides and Handouts (Box)

  • Helping Faculty Write Strong Proposals Even When You Have Limited Resources

    Program Level: Senior Level Concurrent Session

    Location: Ed Gordon Suite

    Description: How can you help investigators craft more effective proposals when time and resources are limited? While pre-award administrators typically focus on managing budgets, compliance, letters of support, and other key pieces of a grant submission, there are many ways you can help PIs craft stronger proposals. Research administrators from the Department of Surgery will discuss several approaches successfully adopted within their department. First, using the example of the Wisconsin Surgical Outcomes Research Program (WiSOR), we will describe how a faculty-driven grant writing group has helped junior and senior faculty write successful proposals and learn to give effective feedback. Groups such as these can be established with little administrative burden and almost exclusively in-house expertise. Second, we will discuss departmental efforts to streamline the proposal writing process, including the development and circulation of boilerplate language for grant sections. In this interactive session, participants will have the opportunity to explore ways to harness existing departmental resources to develop low-cost, low-effort methods of supporting the grant writing process, and they will leave with a tailored action plan to implement these methods.

    Learning Objectives:

    Participants will learn:

    • How grant writing groups can function to support investigators writing grants
    • How to establish an internal grant writing group with minimal administrative burden
    • How to identify, develop, and distribute boilerplate language and other templates to streamline the grant writing process
    • How to identify hidden (and not-so-hidden) departmental, school, and campus-level resources exist to assist investigators writing grants

    Presented By:

    • Laurie Silverberg, PhD., Administrative Director at the Wisconsin Surgical Outcomes Research Program (WISOR)
    • Dana Maya, Research and Faculty Development Advisor at the Department of Surgery
    • Molly Wesling, PhD., Research and Faculty Development Advisory in the Department of Surgery

3:15pm - 4:00pm
  • Turn Crazy Talk Into SMART Talk: Gain Confidence, Clarity and Credibility

    Program Level: Basic Discussion Session

    Location: Overture Room

    Description: We work in a complex environment that involves collaborating with many different types of people and personalities at different organizational levels. The foundation of great working relationships is strong and effective communication skills, especially when working closely with different types of PIs. Come learn how to improve your communication skills and build successful, collaborative relationships with different types of PIs to gain confidence, clarity, and credibility.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Participants will discover several key competencies and useful tips for developing solid, collaborative, and “connected” working relationships.
    • Participants will learn “what works” with PIs. An experienced PI will share his experiences and insight on some of the most effective strategies and communication skills for building relationships with PIs.
    • Opportunities will be given for participants to share stories on successes or challenges and learn best practices from others.
    • Participants will be able to apply learned skills in hands-on, role-playing situations.
    • Participants will be encouraged to self-identify and reflect on one communication skill or strategy to improve on as a takeaway.

    Presented By:

    • Debbie Meltzer, Assistant Dean in the School of Medicine and Public Health
    • Lori Uttech-Hanson, Administrative Program Specialist in the School of Medicine and Public Health

    Files:

    Slides

  • Demystifying Sponsored Project Capital Equipment

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Concerto Room

    Description: What are the steps a research administrator should take when a PI asks to buy equipment with sponsored project funding? What must a research administrator consider when including an equipment item in a proposal budget? What responsibilities fall on the research administrator and his/her department after purchasing capital equipment with sponsored project funding? This session will address these questions, address capital equipment items through the award lifecycle, and more, with the aim of demystifying the topic of capital equipment on sponsored projects. Participants are asked to please bring cell phones or laptops to engage in interactive activities throughout the session.

    Learning Objectives:

    After attending this session, participants will be able to:

    • Recognize purchases that qualify as capital equipment, including upgrades and fabrications.
    • Understand the responsibilities associated with capital equipment purchased with sponsored project funding.
    • Consider the impacts of capital equipment at various stages of the sponsored award’s lifecycle.

    Presented By:

    • Emily Konkol, Post-Award Managing Officer in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Amy Rognsvoog, Financial Program Manager in Accounting Services at the Division of Business Services

    Files:

    Slides

  • Government Contracts

    Program Level: Intermediate Concurrent Session

    Location: Sonata Room

    Description: Most administrators recognize and know about traditional federal grants. But what happens when the federal government decides to send the money through a different mechanism? In this session, we will talk about another mechanism that the government uses to send money – contracts. During this session, we will go over some the differences between a grant and contract, unique elements to keep in mind with federal contracts, and some key concepts to help with the processing of a federal contract.

    Learning Objectives:

    After attending this session, participants will be able to answer the following questions:

    • What is a Federal Contract?
    • How is it different from other forms of federal funding? 
    • What are some of the considerations related to both proposal and award of a federal contract? 
    • What can I do to help expedite the contracting process? 
    • What should I be prepared for if awarded a federal contract?

    Presented By:

    • Bob Gratzl, Interim Assistant Director of Contracts in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Sarah Marcotte, Research Administrator/Supervisor at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

    Files:

    Prezi Presentation

  • How to Stay Fresh and Not Burnout in Research Administration

    Program Level: Senior Level Discussion Session

    Location: Ed Gordon Suite

    Description: Let’s face it . . . research administration can be a high stress occupation.  With this session, we are hoping to discuss with you some ideas on how to minimize burnout and stay fresh.  Come prepared to participate!

    Learning Objectives:

    After attending this session, participants will:

    • Come away with some ideas on what they may be able to do to stay in research administration.
    • Learn from others that may have been through this process already.
    • Identify opportunities that could lead to a renewed vigor in research administration. 

    Presented By:

    • Dawn Herrick, Senior Research Administrator in the College of Engineering
    • Tammy Kuhn Martin, Assistant Dean in the College of Engineering